New Delhi: Accusing the government and its "masters" of "systematically working to dismantle" the legacy of Congress, Sonia Gandhi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP over its alleged "communal and divisive" agenda.
She said "blatantly partisan" appeals were being made by the ruling establishment to obtain votes and that policies aimed at favouring the "powerful" were being followed at the expense of the weak.
Sonia alleged that the "ideology at work" shuns the pursuit of secularism, tolerance, inclusion and equality. "Spokespersons of its agenda make blatantly partisan appeals to obtain votes," she added.
Welcoming the election victory in Bihar the Congress chief said, "In recent times our party has faced some set-backs, but as the election in Bihar shows, if we persevere and work hard, we can overcome these obstacles. We should never forget that the Congress is much more than just a political party, it is a people's movement."
"Today, when we see the ruling establishment pursuing communal and divisive politics, when we see the ruling establishment following policies that favour the few and the powerful at the expense of the weak and the many... Indiraji's life and values acquire even greater importance," she said.
The Congress chief was addressing a gathering of Youth Congress on the occassion of the 98th birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi. Sonia hailed the former prime minister as the "mother of millions" and as one who has left an "indelible impression" on history.
"National unity and secularism were amongst the pillars of her beliefs. She was keenly mindful of the suffering and injustice faced by the weak and the marginalised... Even today in many parts of the country she is remembered as Maa (mother)," she said.
"Today, the present government and its masters who exercise their control from behind the scenes, are systematically working to dismantle the legacy of the Congress, to rewrite our history, to negate all that Nehru, Indiraji and all our leaders have achieved. We will not allow them to succeed. Our party's history is intimately linked with the history of our country," she said.
She stressed on the need to reach out to the masses by taking up their issues and working among them "not just in time of elections but at all times."
"Perhaps, one way for the Youth Congress to do this is to make its own version of Indiraji's 20 point programme and dedicatedly work towards fulfilling it," she said.
Sonia also recalled the contribution of Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and BR Ambedkar in her speech. Ambedkar was the main architect of the Indian constitution, she reminded the youth activists.
